I've been using the Incredible a few months now, and no doubt it is an awesome device. Besides the phone and txting, I use Tracks, Aldiko, Google maps and Engadget on a regular basis.

I don't like paying the $30 every month for the data plan though. Today my wife chose a new phone, the Samsung Intensity, and they offered an early upgrade for another line on my plan; another Intensity for free. (I have 3 lines, an extra my mother uses)

I decided to get one, and see if my Incredible will still work with the wifi alone. Of course I won't be able to phone or txt, but the device gets much more use doing other things that can be done with wifi rather than 3G.

Rather than using an Incredible purely as a mini-tablet, I'd suggest selling it at a profit to somebody who doesn't want to wait a few weeks to get one from Verizon, assuming the backlog hasn't been cleared.

I won't give up the Incredible. I paid $200 for it, and I couldn't get a comparable device for much less than that. I used the Nokia N800 for a while, but while it sported many useful applications, it was slow and touch screen response wasn't the best. With the Incredible I have a much faster device.

I received the new phone yesterday, and after activation the Incredible retains all functionality besides texting and phone. Wifi is much faster than 3G was, but it does drain the battery more quickly. No matter, I have more than one battery. I have been eyeing devices like the Archos, but after the disappointment of the Nokia was apprehensive about trying something else.

PagePlusCellular.com is a prepaid service compatible with Verizon (CDMA) phones and uses the Verizon network. I have activated 2 Verizon phones with them after the expiration of the 2 year contracts and so have really cheap (like 4 cents per minute) phone and text on "spare" phones for family members. Data also available on prepaid accounts, and you only buy what you need.

If you are interested, go to their websitehttp://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans.aspx
and see details. It costs $10 to activate a phone - you have to enter the MEID number of your phone and you are assigned a phone number usually in the same zip code as your phone was originally. What they don't tell you is that after you activate the phone online you have to dial *22890 on the phone to re-program it; when you have done that, add minutes to your plan - as little as $10 at a time for 100 minutes (or 1000 minutes for $50!) good for 120 days. Data uses $1.20/MB out of your account balance, not great but fine that it's available for emergencies.

Where I live, Verizon is really the only game in town so I am glad that the network works so well. I am totally in agreement with your view on having to pay for a data plan with a smart phone... having said that, I recently surrendered to temptation and signed up for another 2 years (phone/data) to get the Palm Pre Plus. It has nice apps similar to the iPhone (but far fewer in number) and free Mobile Hotspot up to 5GB per month to get internet connection on my laptop when nothing else is available.

Congrats on the Incredible, maybe I can upgrade to an Android device myself the next time around!

I received the new phone yesterday, and after activation the Incredible retains all functionality besides texting and phone. Wifi is much faster than 3G was, but it does drain the battery more quickly.

To clarify, you are using the phone without the dialing and texting and there is no charge from Verizon?

I would love to do this since my husband won't use the data plan, and doesn't text or even use the internet.
He had a company blackberry but just retired. He is looking to replace the calendar the phone maintained.
I offered him my old PDA but he said no way.

Froyo was pushed this morning. Apprehensive about it, but did it anyway. Works as it always has off the network. Having problems with the book I was reading using Aldiko though. I'm sure I will have other issues with it, but will deal with it as always.